1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telepresence systems and methods.
2. Description of Related Art
In general, a need exists for the development of telepresence systems suitable for use with static venues, such as museums, and dynamic venues or events, such as a music concerts. The viewing of such venues is limited by time, geographical location, and the viewer capacity of the venue. For example, potential visitors to a museum may be prevented from viewing an exhibit due to the limited hours the museum is open. Similarly, music concert producers must turn back fans due to the limited seating of an arena. In short, limited access to venues reduces the revenue generated.
In an attempt to increase the revenue stream from both static and dynamic venues, such venues have been recorded for broadcast or distribution. In some instances, dynamic venues are also broadcast live. While such broadcasting increases access to the venues, it involves considerable production effort. Typically, recorded broadcasts must be cut and edited, as views from multiple cameras are pieced together. These editorial and production efforts are costly.
In some instances, the broadcast resulting from these editorial and production efforts provides viewers with limited enjoyment. Specifically, the broadcast is typically based on filming the venue from a finite number of predetermined cameras. Thus, the broadcast contains limited viewing angles and perspectives of the venue. Moreover, the viewing angles and perspectives presented in the broadcast are those selected by a producer or director during the editorial and production process; there is no viewer autonomy. Furthermore, although the broadcast is often recorded for multiple viewings, the broadcast has limited content life because each viewing is identical to the first. Because each showing looks and sounds the same, viewers rarely come back for multiple viewings.
A viewer fortunate enough to attend a venue in person will encounter many of the same problems. For example, a museum-goer must remain behind the barricades, viewing exhibits from limited angles and perspectives. Similarly, concert-goers are often restricted to a particular seat or section in an arena. Even if a viewer were allowed free access to the entire arena to videotape the venue, such a recording would also have limited content life because each viewing would be the same as the first. Therefore, a need exists for a telepresence system that preferably provides user autonomy while resulting in recordings with enhanced content life at a reduced production cost.
Apparently, attempts have been made to develop telepresence systems to satisfy some of the foregoing needs. One telepresence system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,469 for Multiple View Telepresence Camera Systems Using A Wire Cage Which Surrounds A Polarity Of Multiple Cameras And Identifies The Fields Of View, issued Jan. 13, 1998. The system disclosed therein includes a plurality of cameras, wherein each camera has a field of view that is space-contiguous with and at a right angle to at least one other camera. In other words, it is preferable that the camera fields of view do not overlap each other. A user interface allows the user to jump between views. In order for the user's view to move through the venue or environment, a moving vehicle carries the cameras.
This system, however, has several drawbacks. For example, in order for a viewer's perspective to move through the venue, the moving vehicle must be actuated and controlled by the viewer. In this regard, operation of the system is complicated. Furthermore, because the camera views are contiguous, typically at right angles, changing camera views results in a discontinuous image.
Other attempts at providing a telepresence system have taken the form of a 360 degree camera systems. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,305 for Panoramic Viewing Apparatus, issued Apr. 28, 1998. The system described therein provides a 360 degree view of environment by arranging multiple cameras around a pyramid shaped reflective element. Each camera, all of which share a common virtual optical center, receives an image from a different side of the reflective pyramid. Other types of 360 degree camera systems employ a parabolic lens or a rotating camera.
Such 360 degree camera systems also suffer from drawbacks. In particular, such systems limit the user's view to 360 degrees from a given point perspective. In other words, 360 degree camera systems provide the user with a panoramic view from a single location. Only if the camera system was mounted on a moving vehicle remotely controlled by the viewer could the viewer navigate and experience simulated movement through an environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,571 for Television System For Displaying Multiple Views of A Remote Location issued Feb. 16, 1993, describes a camera system similar to the 360 degree camera systems described above. The system described provides a user to select an arbitrary and continuously variable section of an aggregate field of view. Multiple cameras are aligned so that each camera's field of view merges contiguously with those of adjacent cameras thereby creating the aggregate field of view. The aggregate field of view may expand to cover 360 degrees. In order to create the aggregate field of view, the cameras' views must be contiguous. In order for the camera views to be contiguous, the cameras have to share a common point perspective, or vertex. Thus, like the previously described 360 degree camera systems, the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,571 limits a user's view to a single point perspective, rather than allowing a user to experience movement in perspective through an environment.
Also, with regard to the system of U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,571, in order to achieve the continuity between camera views, a relatively complex arrangement of mirrors is required. Additionally, each camera seemingly must also be placed in the same vertical plane.
Thus, a need still exists for an improved telepresence system that provides the ability to better simulate a viewer's actual presence in a venue, preferably in real time.
3. Summary of Embodiments of the Invention
These and other needs are satisfied by embodiments of the present invention. A telepresence method and system according to one embodiment of the present invention permits one or more users to navigate through imagery of an environment. One such system receives, from a first user interface device associated with the first user, first user inputs associated with the first view through the environment, and receives, from a second user interface device associated with the second user, second user inputs associated with the second view through the environment. The system receives electronic imagery of progressively different perspectives of the environment having overlapping fields of view and generates electronic mosaic imagery from the electronic imagery of the environment. Based on the first user inputs, the system provides to the first user interface device mosaic imagery along the first view, thereby allowing the first user to navigate along the first view of the environment, and based on the second user inputs, provides to the second user interface device mosaic imagery along the second view, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently along the first view and second view of the environment, respectively. In certain embodiments the system processes the imagery to smooth user navigation through the environment.